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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. shower — to wash
  3. stock — shares
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. wake — a trail
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. rash — hasty
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. ball — a great time
  13. rash — a series
  14. ball — a dance
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. shower — rain
  18. stock — goods
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. vault — a safe
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. vault — in gymnastics

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com